Phonograph.



R. THOMAS PHONOGRAPH.

APPLICATION FILED wuss. 1916.

Patented Jan. 1,1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1..

R. THOMAS.

PHONOGRAFH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE a. 1916.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918\ 22% c jvbveuroz R. THOMAS. PHONOGRAPH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1915- I 1,251,592. Patented Jam-1,1918;

TED STATES PATEN BEINHOLD THOMAS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PHON' OGRAPH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Jan. 1,1918.

Application filed June'S, 1916. Serial No. 102,377.

' which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in phonographs and has for its object to provide an improved type of reproducing device comprising sound box, tone arm and ampli fier, mounted for moving as a unitary structure over the record. It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described, as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings: v

Figure 1 is a sectional view on the line, 11, of Fig. 2, with parts in elevation illuscrating a-phonograph embodying this inven- ,tion.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts in section on the line, 22, of Fig. 1, illustrating the subject-matter of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a form of amplifier embodying the invention.

Fig. 4: is a similar view illustrating another form of amplifier.

Fig. 5 is a detail view illustratinga means for giving the amplifier bias toward movement in one direction.

In the drawings is a box or casing comprising a horizontal tablet or partition, 15, below which there is mounted and carried a motor indicated at 19, (the specific structure of which is not material and which is in tended. to be shown only conventionally). The shaft of this motor is intended to be understood as extending up through the horizontal tablet, 15, for carrying and rotating above said tablet the record carrier, 21, on which there is shown a record, 22. Upon said horizontal tablet, 15, outside the circumference of the record carrier, 21, there is secured a vertical pivot post, 55, upon which there is mounted for horizontal rota.- tion a pivot support for theentire soundreproducing and amplifying deyice which s pivoted to said support for swinging vertically to carry the sound box and stylus thereon toward and from the record. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 3 this pivot support comprises a sleeve, 51, fitted ontothe pivot spindle, 55, having a bell-she d flange or skirt, 52, Whose lower margin is horizontal and positioned a little below the lower end of the sleeve. The sleeve is beveled or spirally shaped at its lower end, and that end lodges upon a stud, 56, which projects from the pivot post, so that the weight of the parts carried by said pivot support, 51, namely, the sound conduit and sound box,

tends to cause the sleeve and said parts carri ed thereby to rotate around the axis of the pivot post, 55, from a position at which the lowest point of said beveled or spirally-cut end of the sleeve bears on, the. stud, 56, to a position at which a higher point on said beveled edge bears on said stud. The purpose obviously accomplished by this expedient is to bias the entire horizontally-swinging structure in favor of swinging in one direction rather than in the other, so that the' stylus carried by the sound box at the end of the structure is pressed against one side of the groove of the record, which in the case of the laterally-undulating type of recordgroove contributes to clearness of tone production, and is without any disadvantageous effect in the case of the vertically-undulating type of record groove. The purpose of the bell-shaped flange or skirt, 52, extending as stated below the level of the beveled lower end of the sleeve, 51, is to afiord the device stable support out ofplaying position,-that is, when the reproducer is swung entirely off the record and stands at one side thereof.

The distinguishing characteristic of an instrument ofthe type herein shown, is that the amplifier or horn tube for conducting and magnifying the sound has the initial portion,sometimes called the tone arm,"

extending axially within the final portion,

more commonly called the amplifier or horn,

and that a reflector is provided at the end opposite the sound box for reflecting the sound waves emerging from that end of the inner member of the sound conduit or tone arm, back through the outer member, and also outside said outer member toward the end at which the sound box is mOunted the The initial member of the sound conduit referred to as the tone arm is the tube, 42, whiehis preferably tapered from the end at which it is connected by the elbow, 37, with the sound box, 29, widening toward the farther end, which terminates within and a little back of the adjacent end of the next exterior member, 38, of the sound conduit, this latter member being sometimes referred to as the amplifier or horn proper. This horn member, 38, is tapered widening from the end remote from the sound box toward the end proximate the sound box, and at the last mentioned end is additionally more rapidly flared as more clearly seen in the drawing, for wide-spread delivery of the sound waves. The tone arm, 42, eommunicates with the horn member, 38, at the adjacent ends of said two members remote from the sound box, not only through the annular space between the two members resultant from the fact that the exterior diameter of that end of the tone arm, 42, is noticeably less than the interior diameter of the adjacent end of the horn, 38, but also by reason of the lateral recesses or notches, 42*, which are formed at the larger end of the tone arm, 42, said notches extending each through nearly half of the circumference of that end of the tone arm, leaving only narrow segments, 42*, between them at opposite sides which are taken advantage of for spacing the tone arm at that end definitely within the adjacent end of the horn, 38, which is done by turning out these narrow segments, 42*, into touch with the inner surface of the encompassing horn member, 38. Further communication between the tone arm, 42,

and the horn member, 38, is afforded by apertures, 40, which are made at intervals in the length of the tone arm, preferably rather nearer-its wider end than its narrower end, so that the sound waves ma emerge laterally from the tone arm for blending with the sound waves in the horn, which may be considered as originating therein at the smaller end, being communi: eated from the larger end of the tone arm. Facing the adjacent ends of the tone arm and .horn member, 38, remote from the sound box there is a reflector, 44-, suitably held in position co-axial with saidtone arm and horn member by any convenientmeehanical connection, such connection being most conveniently made with the outer of the two members, namely the horn member, and in the drawings in which there is shown an additional exterior amplifier or horn member, 39, encompassing the horn member, 38, and extending beyond it at the adjacent smaller ends of the said two horn members, the immediate support of the reflector, 44, is obtained by extending fingers, 39*, from said smaller end of said exterior horn member, 39, as seen clearly in Figs, 3 and 4, somewhat similar fingers, 38, being extended from the end of the horn member, 38, to

present, some portions of the sound waves will also be directly reflected outside of said horn member through the apertures, 39*, between the fingers, 39", of said horn member, 39, said exterior sound waves being distributed more widely than the sound waves emerging from the forward ends of the horn members, 38 and 39, with the eli'ect of causing the sound reaching the ear of the listener to approximate more nearly to the sound of a voice or instrument speaking or being played in unconfined space, and thus contributing to the naturalness of the sound reproduction eliected by the instrument as awhole. In addition to the connection beween the several sound conduit members described which are at the smaller end, said sound conduit members are spaced apart and supported upon each other by means of screws, d1, inserted through the outermost horn member, 39, screwed through the horn member, 38, and impinging against the tone arm, e2, said screws being positioned relatively near the larger end of said horn members, as seen in Figs. 3 and munication of the sound waves from the horn member, 38, into the horn member, 39, in addition to the communication afiiorded at the smaller end of said horn members, apertures, 40, are formed in the horn member, 38, which are preferably approximately in transverse planes with the similar apers.

tures, l0, in the tone arm, for coinmunication with the horn member, 38, as described. i

The record and sound-reproducing device as an entirety are completely inclosable in a hinged lid or cover, 16, of box form, hinged to the casing at one lower edge for swinging upward, for convenience in applying and removing the record from H 3 rec 0rd carrier and attention to the sound box. Means, as a latch, 20, may be provided engaging an abutment, 20 on the ease for sus taining the cover different degrees of openness for modulating the sound discharge, the latch having a' plurality of notches, 20, distributed along its length for this purpose. Other means for permitting the discharge and modulation of the sound may be provided in the cover, as, for ex- For com ample, a multiplicity of apertures, 17, distributed around all sides of the cover near the top, and a swinging panel, 18, pivoted at its lower edge and adapted to be tilted outward at the upper edge, as indicated in Fig. 1. These means of modulation of the sound discharge are not claimed herein, being reserved for a divisional application. The drawings show the sound box, 29, connected by an elbow at the smaller end of the tone arm, the elbow being rotatable at its connection with the tone arm to turn the sound box from a position at which the stylus carried thereby is adapted to cooperate with the record of the so-called zigzag type,-that is, having laterally sinuous sound grooves,to a position at which it is adapted to cooperate with the record of the so-called hill-and-valley type,- that is, having vertically undulatory sound grooves. And in order to cooperate with these two types of records, the stylus arm, 30, not only has a stylus socket position for receiving the stylus, 58, extending in a plane parallel to the diaphragm of the sound box removably secured by a thumb screw, 59, but is also provided with a permanent stylus, 60, projecting at right angles to the stylus, :18, for engaging a record of the hill-andvalley type. These features of construction and mounting of the sound box, and provision of stylus in two positions, are not herein claimed.

In my co-pending application, Serial No. 64,214, filed November 30, 1915, there is shown a phonograph structure of the same general type as that shown in this application, the characteristic features of the typebeing claimed in that application, only the variations from that form which are embodied in the present application being the subjectmatter of my claims in this'application.

I claim 1. In a sound-reproducing.instrument, a sound conduit with two or more tubes, one within another, spaced apart andcommunieating with each other, the sound box mounted on one end of the innermost of said tubes, the outer tube or tubes being formed for sound discharge at the end toward the sound box, the inner tube being tapered widening from the sound box end toward the other end, and the outertubes being tapered widening in the opposite direction.

2. In a sound-reproducing instrument, in combination with a sound conduit consisting of a series ofconcentric tubes,a sound-box mounted on one end of the innermost of saidtubes, said innermost tube being tapered widening from the sound box end toward the other end; an intermediate tube next exterior to the sound-b'ox-carry-ing tube, being from the sound box of said exterior tube.

3. A sound-reproducing instrument comrisin in combination with a sound conduit, consisting of a series of concentric tubes; a sound box mounted on one end of the innermost of said tubes, all of said tubes being open at theopposite end, a reflector facing said open end of the tubes and extending more widely than said open ends, whereby the sound is partly reflected outside the outermost of said tubes.

4. A sound-reproducing. instrument com; prising in combination with a sound conduit, consisting of a pluraiity of concentric tubes; a sound box mounted upon one end of the innermost of said tubes, said innermost tube being tapered widening from the soundbox end toward the opposite end, and the exterior tubes being tapered widening in the opposite direction, each exterior tube being I more widely tapered than the next interior, and the outermost tube being additionally flared at the discharge end toward the sound box, all of said tubes being open at the end opposite the sound box, and a reflector facing said open ends and being of greater diameter than the outermost of said tubes whereby a port-ion of the sound is reflected exteriorly' of all the tubes back toward the sound box.

5. In a-sound-reproducing instrument in combination with a sound conduit consisting of a plurality of concentric tubes comprising an innermost tube and the sound box mounted upon one end thereof; an intermediate tube tapered widening from the end oppositethe sound box back toward the sound box, and an exterior tube tapered widening in the same direction, said con,

'centric tubes being supported one upon another, a pivot support for the entire group of tubes and sound box, and means by which the outermost tube is pivoted upon said support for swinging horizontally and yer-- tical-ly.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

REIN HOLD THOMAS. 

